Brassiere



Feb. 19, 1952 T. B. SCHAUMER BRASSIERE Filed NOV. 26, 1949 HEO .5. SCHAl/MER,

INVENTOR.

BY if firmeA/EY.

Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRASSIERE Theo B. Schaumer, Los Angeles, Calif. Application November 26, 1949, Serial No. 129,627

2 Claims.

This invention relates to brassieres, a type of garment in general use for molding the breasts of the female figure. Such molding of necessity implies a tight fit of the garment over the breasts, as well as around the body. Ordinarily, a. brassiere that is fitted to perform its intended function effectively is apt to be so tight as to impose an uncomfortable restraint against free movements of the wearer.

Many brassires, in an eilort to overcome this disadvantage, utilize elastic material, especially for the body-encircling band; but the stretching and contracting of this material affect the fit of the cups over the breasts unless the band is maintained under considerable tension at all times. This, again, produces undesired, everpresent tightness, especially when the body is flexed.

It is one of the objects of thisinvention to provide a brassiere in which adequate and firm molding of the breasts is attained by the cups without bodily discomfort, even when the wearer is active.

It is another object of this invention to provide a brassire structure which normally produces no uncomfortable compression about the body of the wearer.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose, there are shown a few forms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. These forms will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a pictorial view of a brassire incorporating the invention, and shown as in use;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the brassiere shown in Fig. 1, with the parts extended; and

Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of the invention.

The brassiere shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a pair of spaced :breast cups I and 2. These breast cups are of generally domed configuration. Each of the cups has a substantially circular base portion 3. They may be made of conventional, comformable material, such as silk, nylon, net, lace, broadcloth, etc.

Each of the cups I and 2 may be made up of a plurality of sections, or segments, sewn together along seams 21. The cups may be either lined or unlined. If desired, reinforcing stitching, such as a spiral line of stitching 4, may be provided on the breast cups.

Joining the lower portions of the base 3 is an intermediate or central fabric member 5. This fabric member may be made on inelastic materials, such as silk, satin, etc. This member 5 terminates at edges 6 and 1 at substantially the lower central portion of each of the cups I and 2. The lower edge 8 of this member 5 is arched upwardly, and an elastic webbing 9 extends across the arch.

Appropriate binding strips on the inner side of the brassiere may be pr'ovidedaround the base 3, as indicated by the dotted line III. Similar binding strips I I may be provided around the edges of the intermediate member'i.

A pair of elastic members I2 and I3 arepro vided which, together with the'central' member 5, serve to encircle the body of the wearer. The elastic members I2 and I3 may be in the form of webbing capable of stretching in alongitudinal direction, such as one-way stretch material.

However, two-way stretch material, permitting; stretching in a transverse direction, mayalso be used.

of the member 5. Furthermore, the upper edge I 4 or I5 is cut away, as indicated at 30, at the inner end to conform to the lower outer portion of the cup base 3.

The outer ends of the members I2 and I3 may be provided with detachable fastening elements It and H (such as hooks and eyes) for detachably holding these ends together at the back of the wearer.

The lower edges I8 and I9 of the elastic members I2 and I3 are left unrestrained and free to elongate. Attached to the upper edges I4, 15

are the fabric side members 20 and 2|. These side members are of generally triangular configuration, are joined to the base 3, and extend laterally along the upper edges I4 and I5 of the members I2 and I3. Sides 20, 2| may be made of substantially inelastic fabric, such as satin, silk, nylon, etc., and are attached, as by seams 22, to the upper edges I4 and I5. The fabric for these sides is cut on the square, so as to resist stretch along the upper edges I4, I5. Thus, at least a substantial part of the upper edges are restrained against stretching or extension.

Conventional shoulder straps 23 may be provided, joining the upper ends of the cups to The inner ends of the elastic members I2 I3 are joined, as by a seam, to the edges 6 and'l.

the outer ends of the triangular fabric members 20 and 21.

Strips may be provided on the inside of the edges of the members 20 and 2|.

In use, the brassiere is maintained quite tightly about the body of the wearer, and immediately below the breasts. As the body flexes, the lower edges l8 and I9 can flex and assume the positions indicated by the dot-and-dash lines 24 and 25 of Fig. 2. Since, at the arcuate portions 30, and at the upper edges IA- and [5, the elastic members l2 and 13 are restrained against extension. the cups l and 2 maintain their shape and are kept in appropriate breast-molding position.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the cups l and 2 are joined by a central member 26 that extends substantially downwardly below the cups 1 and 2 to form a relatively wide front portion. The lower edge 21 of this central member 26 is substantially coincident with the lower edges 28 of the elastic members 29. The elastic members 29 serve the same purpose as the elastic members l2 and 13, except that they are substantially wider to form a more extensive support for the upper portion of the body below the breasts of the wearer. In other respects, this brassiere, as shown in Fig. 3, operates in the same manner as the brassiere shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The inventor claims:

1. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; a central fabric member joined to the inner edges of the bases of the cups and extending between them; the lower portions of said member terminating in diverging ends extending respectively beneath the cups; a pair of elastic members joined respectively to said ends; the lower edges of said elastic members forming, with the lower edge of said central member, the lower edge of the brassiere; said elastic members and the central member being capable of substantially entirely encircling the body of the wearer; and a pair of inelastic side members, each side member being attached to the upper edge of a corresponding elastic member, said side members being cut on the straight of the fabric to restrain those portions of said upper edges of the elastic members, which are joined to the side members, from stretching; each of said side members having an arcuate edge corresponding to a portion of the base of the adjacent cup, and said arcuate edge being joined to said base.

2. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; a central fabric member joined to the inner edges of the bases of the cups and extending between them; the lower portions of said member terminating in diverging ends extending respectively beneath the cups; a pair of elastic members joined respectively to said ends; the lower edges of said elastic members forming, with the lower edge of said central members, the lower edge of the brassiere; said elastic members and the central member being capable of substantially entirely encircling the body of a wearer; and a pair of inelastic side members, each side member being attached to the upper edge of a corresponding elastic member, said side members being cut on the straight of the fabric to restrain those portions of said upper edges of the elastic members, which are joined to the side members, from stretching; each of said side members having an arcuate edge corresponding to a portion of the adjacent cup, and said arcuate edge being stretching; each of said side members having ends extending beyond said side members.

THEO B. SCI-IAUMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,997,995 Bowen Apr. 16, 1935 2,202,058 Malnick May 28, 1940 2,466,280 Schaumer Apr. 5, 1949 2,481,603 Lo Cascio Sept. 13, 1949 2,501,325 Gates Mar. 21, 1950 

